Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Actual Poker Content!

I won a slider last night. Yup, bronze, insulated, screen included.

I picked up a little bankroll at Bodog and started trying to whittle it away last night. Actually, I really started yesterday on the train ride home. I downloaded their mobile casino client. Sweet, an hour of -EV games to fill my time. I toiled on my $.25 Jacks or Better video poker, and just about broke even. Not too bad. But I was really after some good, old fashioned, online pokah for the first time in a long while.

After my wife retired for the evening to read her book, it was time to fire it up. I jumped all over the place, starting off in a couple low buyin sit-n-go's. Smash, boom bang, KA-POW. Nope, I didn't see the Batman movie this weekend, but I felt like I was watching the old show with Adam West. I just couldn't wrap my head around the fact that I may be behind, when holding AKo, and the flop came AA9. All the chips go in and the real poker player in the hand turns over A9o for the flopped boat to my trips, top kick. Nice playing with you, have a nice day.

After about 3 of those, I decide to wade into the cash waters. Hearing that the Bodog cash games can be soft, I figured I would give it a go. I started off on the .05/.10, $10 max table, then quickly jumped up to the .10/.25, $25 max table. A little while in, I spy the beautiful AA and we play patty cake preflop to the tune of getting all the money in. About $22 each I guess. He flops a Q to go with his other 2 bitches and weeeee, away I go to reload. "ouch" he says. Yes indeed. At this rate, maybe I will lose it all tonight and be done with it?

I actually chip back up pretty nicely, and after smacking down some poor dude with the nut flush on the river, I have made it back to even for the night, including my donking good time in the SNGs. It is about 11:30pm and I have to get up at 4:20am. Feeling shades of the poker addiction creeping back in to me, I close it down...Only to open the casino client instead (hehehe, evil chuckle).

I just wanted to try a little taste of the online poker through the client, so I jumped into a Double Double Bonus Poker game with $100. I was playing $.25, with max bet making it $1.25 a hand. After about 3 minutes of floundering back and forth, bingo, I hit 4 of a kind. Then, about 2 hands later, again! I end up with something like $268 after a little more back and forth and decide, shut it down now before you give it back. Online video poker can't be good for you.

I hit the "Cash Out" button, only to feel the pull, while watching the Red Sox game, to jump back in. This time though, I decide, "it can't hurt to jump to $1 for a couple pulls right?" I jump in, and about 10 hands of back and forth later, BAM, I am dealt 4 A's. That paid $800! I ran out of dodge with about $1100 in the roll at about midnight.

Like I said, I won a slider. I am in the process of replacing the 30 year old slider at my place in New Hampshire and since it has to be bronze, to match the rest of the decor of the condo units, it is going to cost me about $800. Not an expense that I was looking forward to right now. Thanks Bodog!

Monday, July 21, 2008

Vegas Trip Report-Part 3

So I left off the trip report just after we left Sapphire to meet up with Don and Carmen. We started to stragger down the strip from about the Circus Circus area, but I quickly realized we were running late, so jumped in a cab to get us to our meeting spot.

We met up at Diablo's Cantina in front of the Monte Carlo. My buddy, who had met Carmen a year or 2 ago quickly, forgot who we were meeting. I was like, there they are, and he was like, damn, who is THAT? Always hot and fun to catch up with, we settled down with our margaritas (had to at this place) and had some good grub, while we talked about the goings on since the last time I was in town. Guys, it is always a pleasure to see you both. Carmen, glad you are doing great with your recovery, and Don, glad you are still living the life to envy. Both of you, keep it up and I will see you in oh, about 48 days, but who's counting right?

Btw, the food was great there. I think anything would have been good after drinking jack on the rocks all day with no food whatsoever, but Carmen being the sober one in the bunch agreed, and even went back again with her friends a week or 2 later I think.

We ended up parting ways, with Carmen working the next morning and Don off to legally rob the tourists. We walked back toward the Flamingo and ended up gambling a little here and there for the rest of the night. Nothing too special or memorable to report there.

The next day saw us attack the south end of the strip. Being our last full day in town, we wanted to get in as much as we could and started out with a quick breakfast and then hit Caesars, Bellagio, then the Monte Carlo. Each place we played a little video poker, and get a little hot in the pit at the Monte Carlo. Of course, the fire alarm went off while we were there and the dealers just made jokes, since it was about a month or so after the fire there. Noone seemed to take it seriously, which was interesting, but at least we were in easy exit distance in case it turned out not to be a drill.

Anyway, by the time we left there it was early afternoon and we went over to NYNY to start drinking it up and throwing more money away. After a little more craps, we ended up at Excalibur playing more video poker at the bar. Again, nothing too memorable in that, but by the time we were done with that it was about 4pm and we decided to walk over to Planet Hollywood and have some grub at PF Chang's. Always a dependable meal, we shot out of there and started thinking about what to do for the night.

We ended up nixing the original idea of a strip club in favor of heading over to the Rio to check out the Voodoo Lounge for the first time. We got there a little early, about 9:30pm I guess, and it was understandably dead. We grabbed a couple $12 drinks and checked out the view of the strip. It felt pretty gay, not that there is anything wrong with that, but it would have been a better time with the wife I guess. Anyway, we stuck it out there until all the fat, bald guys who were in town for conferences started showing up. By the time we left, it was about a complete sausage fest, with a ratio of about 40 guys to 1 girl. Good times.

We went downstairs and decided it would be a good thing to get more food. We went to RUB, which is a great barbeque place in the Rio. The food was great, although we both left a ton. At this point, it was about 11:30pm and after watching the show they do there, we went down and decided to try a little more video poker. We grabbed couple seats in a jackpot bank of machines and I threw in a $100, playing $.25 double double bonus. On the second hand I get dealt 4 diamonds, with 3 royal cards. I chuck the 4th diamond and the other card and BINGO, another royal. No bells, lights or anything flashing this time. It just said, "Jackpot, call attendant". I couldn't believe it. The jackpot was only about $45 more than the starting point, but still. After 2 hands, I won another $1045 and I was a happy guy.

I gave back about $300 playing craps, blackjack, and 3 card poker, but still a great time. We got up the next morning and had breakfast at the place in Planet Hollywood. I think it is the Daily Planet or something like that. Anyway, it was good, but we were off to catch the flight home about an hour later.

All in all, I went home with all the cash I left with, plus the cost of my trip. A huge success in my book. I can't wait until September. The conference I am going to is at the Bellagio, which will make it a lot better than last year's conference. It was at the Red Rock, which was a beautiful place, but so far away. Since I will be at the Bellagio, I can still attend everything I need to for work, while not missing anything that my buddies decide to do while in town.

Friday, July 18, 2008

General Update

So I am going to take a quick detour from the trip report, part 3. Just a quick post about what is going on in general, to noone in particular.

Baseball season ended a couple weeks ago, but my 2 older boys are still playing in a summer fun league. It is great for my 7 year old because he is facing live pitching for the first time, so he is getting a feel for what it will be like for him next year. He is doing really well.

My 11 year old thinks it is kind of a joke. The kids aren't very good in his age group, but he struggled hitting this year, as it was his first in the majors. At the end of the season, he was just starting to swing the bat well, so he figured he would play this to keep it going for a little while. He has done ok hitting, but pitching he has been dominating. His coach isn't letting him pitch again the worst team usually because he said it isn't fair, lol. Last night though, after we told him he wouldn't be there for the 2 games next week because of football camp, he let him pitch the last 3 innings. He struck out every kid he faces and in the inning I was watching his game, he threw 10 pitches for the 3 K's. He better not get used to it, because in his league, it will be tough going next year.

So sports has been keeping me really busy. Even my 5 year old was playing this year, but there is no summer league for his age.

Last week I was on vacation and we spent about $1,000 in gas driving all over New England. We went up to my mom's place in Maine, then down to Cape Cod and caught a drive in movie, then up to New Hampshire to our place up there for a few days. That was just the wife and I with some friends, so that was a good time. We did some kayaking on the Saco river and pulled a floating cooler along for the ride. Good times indeed.

While we were in Maine, the kids got into the lake big time. My sister bought a knee board, and as you can see, the kids thought they were the shiznit.

So far so good this summer. We have less than 3 weeks until football practice starts. Both the 2 older ones are playing this year. I am not coaching my oldest, which will be kinda weird. We had such a great season last year, but he has a good coach, and I think he will benefit from getting me off his back during practice. In the car on the ride home is a different story of course ;)

I am going to help out a little with my 7 year old's team, but for the most part, I am being a parent and board member. Trying to help wherever I can.

I do plan on starting to play a little more poker. Nothing close to what I was doing before I kicked the habit, but I do miss the Mooookie, and other fun weekly games. Hopefully I can jump back in soon.

Ok, that's all I got. I should have the next installment of the trip report sometime this weekend, or early next week. Have a great weekend to all.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Vegas Trip Report-Part 2

Ok, so I left off in the middle of the second day, just after hitting a Royal on video poker. By that time, it is about 1:00pm or so. We decide to beat it out of downtown and grab a cab from the Plaza.

It was a nice sunny day in Vegas, fresh off a little VP score. What do we decide to do next? Strip Club naturally. Now I am not a huge strip club guy. I couldn't possibly love the female form more, but watching my cash go away in short order, while working up some possible wood, only to walk away with only Rosy Palm and her 5 sisters is not always the best way to spend the day. Nevertheless, having hit the little score, and not having taken the time to visit a strip club in Vegas in the past, this seemed like a good time for a visit.

Now everyone hears stories about this place and that place, and how the cabbies bring you where they make the most money, not necessarily the best place. Anyway, with that in mind, we decided to have the cabbie drive us back to the Flamingo first. We had a bunch of passes and some of them included rides to the clubs, so we figured that was the way to go. We got back to the strip and I called the number on the back of the card for a ride to Sapphire. The girl answers and says no problem on the ride, they start booking them at 7:30pm. DOH. Um, ok, well, if we just get over there, can we still use the pass to avoid a cover? Sure, come on over she says.

We jump in the cab and tell him we want to go to Sapphire. "You want to see the most beautiful girls? I bring you to Spearmint Rhino." No thanks dude, Sapphire it is. We get there and we see about 5 cars in the lot, and the place looks closed. He says, "you want me to wait to make sure they are open?" Nope, all set, I already called.

We walk in and the place is huge. I mean like 3 big public rooms and then a private room off to the side too. It was typical strip club dark and the music was going. We walked in without seeing a soul at the entrance and walk through to the first room. Then the second room. Then are at the end of the expanse and at the men's room at this point. We look at each other, and we didn't even have to say anything. We both could read each other's mind. "Where the FUCK is everybody?" We literally didn't see one person. We walked back through the rooms and found that there was actually a bartender there at the bar so we sat down. To make a long story longer, we spend about 2 hours chatting up the hot bartender and saw the one and only stripper that was working at the time for a total of about 5 minutes. She was off on a private dance for a while, then came back and off she went again with the only other lonely and sad soul that decided that visiting Sapphire on a Sunday afternoon was a super duper idea. Anyway, the bartender was actually really cool and held our attention enough to just chill and booze it up until it was time to shove off and meet up with The Don and the lovely Carmen for a prearranged dinner. The obvious moral of the story is, wait until nightfall to go to that place at least. If it was packed and full of naked chicks parading around, I am sure it would have been cool. We just picked the wrong time I guess.

Ok, that is all the time I have for today. Maybe tomorrow or later this week I will continue this blabbering on a bit more.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Vegas Trip Report

Well, only 3 months since my trip. I guess it is time to put up a quick trip report. I am on vacation this week, and have a few minutes to breathe, so my thoughts drifted off to Vegas. I am going back on September 7th for a conference and I can't wait, but about the last trip...

We took a 7am flight out of Boston and got to Vegas at about 10am. My buddy and I really wanted to check out some of the smaller haunts that we had heard about so many times that were just off the strip. We stayed at the Flamingo, and once we checked in, out the back door we went with our first destination being Ellis Island. We played a little video poker, then hit up that wonderful steak dinner deal. Done in, all set with doing it again. On the handsome placemat there was a match play coupon for blackjack so we both played for about 10 minutes, won back the cash we dropped at VP, and moved on to the next stop. Over to Terrible's we walked and right into the VP again. Only played for a couple minutes and got the urge to play craps. After I dropped a $100 in about 10 minutes, I got up and decided to play some 3 card poker for a little bit. I hit 3 7's on the first hand but I was only playing $5 and only the pair plus. I got up with my $200 and away we went again. This time we walked over to the Hard Rock. We played VP and craps for a while. I really like that place at night, but it got old fast during the day. I am sure the pool was looking just fine, but the casino was pretty dead. At this point we were mid afternoon and went back to check in at the Flamingo.

We got cleaned up a little and started making our way north on the strip. We stopped off a few places and ended up at the Wynn. We grabbed players club cards and set off to earn 25 points each for a "free" buffet. I ended up doing ok on mine playing VP. I think it took me about a half hour and I only lost about $10, so all in all, not bad. My buddy spent about $70 ;) The buffet was great though. It was normally something like $38 for the meal, so it worked out pretty well and the food was great. We both ended up losing a little bit more here and there and turned in pretty early for the night. We got up at about 4am to get our flight so it was a long day.

The next day, we were up early and ready to roll. Again, wanting to do some different things while in Vegas, we decided to hit up downtown. I had only been there a couple times in the past. Once at night on St. Patty's day a few years ago where all I did was seeing puking 18 year olds all over the place. I wasn't diggin it. I also had been down a couple times with Don and Carmen to play in tourney's, but not on exploration mode at all. We started off at about 10am at the Golden Nugget playing VP and drinking at the bar. We lasted about a half hour and decided to go over to the Golden Gate. Played a little craps, but we weren't feelin it there either. We decided now was as good a time as any to go across the street to that "strip" joint. We did a little "think it's open?", "I don't know, you try the door", "no, you try the door". Anyway, I decided to bravely go up and try the door and pulled about 3 times, only to be assured it was indeed locked (at about 11am mind you). Anyway, smooth as sandpaper, I made like I was just passing by (yeah right) and into the Las Vegas Club. We jumped right onto the craps table and started chatting with the stickman. He was cool and had us get cards for their fine establishment. We were pounding down bourbon and shooting dice for about 2 hours when my buddy checked his phone and found a bunch of missed calls from my lovely wife. I called her back and it turns out her car was broken into at the mall at home and her GPS was stolen. At like 2pm on a Sunday afternoon. Very nice. Shit like that always happens when I am away of course.

Anyway, after talking to her, and finding that all was really fine, we finished up craps and I jumped on a video poker machine to kill another $20 and enjoy one last drink. After the $20 was gone in about 5 minutes, and I was still waiting for my drink, I decided to put in one more $10. I know, expensive bourbon. Anyway, I was down to $2.50 playing $.25 VP and was dealt a Royal for a cool grand. The floor person came rushing over to give me some card and collect a tip, and I cashed out and picked up my lovely LV Club polo for hitting a Royal. How sweet it is.

Ok, that puts me at mid day on the second day. I know it is kinda detailed, my bad. But alas, I am out of time. I will try and put up the next installment early next week as I am off to New Hampshire for the weekend tomorrow morning. Be good and stay profitable. Hope everyone is crushing it in Vegas.